On 7 April 2016 Syrian rebels, supported by Turkey, took from Daesh most of the town of Al Rai, near the Turkish border. The Turkish-backed rebels now control the stretch of the Syrian-Turkish border from their Azaz enclave to Al Rai.

The rebels’ advance will hinder the Kurds’ plans to take over this Daesh-controlled area themselves in order to unite their own enclaves – a plan vehemently resisted by Turkey.

On 23 February 2016 forces of Daesh took Khanaser town from the Syrian regime. Khanaser has huge strategic importance, as it sits on the single road that connected the bulk of the regime territory to the areas under its control in the Aleppo Province.

Fall of Khanaser came as expansion of the Daesh’s grip over the strategic road which it had cut on 21 February.

On 20 February 2016 Syrian Kurds continued their successful offensive against Daesh [ISIS] in eastern Syria. After unexpectedly capturing Al-Shadadi town on 19 February, they kept advancing rapidly along the Nahrl al Khabur river valley and took Fadghami village more than 20 kilometers south-east from Al-Shadadi. As a result, they have now come close to the last significant possession of Daesh in Al-Hasakah Province – Markadah town.

Meanwhile, on 21 February Syrian regime forces destroyed the pocket of the Daesh forces in Aleppo Province which they had surrounded on 20 February. In the process, they took a number of villages and Rayyan town.

On 20 February 2016, the Syrian regime offensive resulted in the encirclement of Daesh [ISIS] forces in the area between Aleppo city and Kwaires military base.

The offensive has been going on during the recent weeks, with towns of Arran and Barlehiyah being taken by the Assad’s forces on 15 February and the town of As Sin on 18 February.

On 20 Assad’s forces took Aleppo Thermal Power Plant and village Turaykiyah. This latest achievement cut the last link between the bulk of Daesh territory and the area around Daesh-held town of Rayyan, that has been surrounded as a result.